Electric sign



May 25 1926. 1 1,586,436

F. 2. BARRUNDIA ELECTRIC SIGN Filed August 25. 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES I v w M di ATTORNEYS May 25 1926." 1,586,436

F. 2. BARRUNDIA ELECTRIC SIGN mun A TTORNEYS May 25 1926. 1,586,436

F. 2., BARRUNDIA ELECTRIC SIGN Filed August 25. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 fif y-5' WITNESSES 11v VENTOR M lflsdwacofarnllafiarrzmdaa BY I fhf)? 4,

A TTORNE YS Patented M 25, 1926.

UNITED STATES FEDERICO ZORRILLA BARRUNDIA, OF MEXICO, MEXICO.

ELECTRIC SIGN.

Application filed August 25, 1923. Serial No. 659,298.

This invention has relation to moving electric display or advertising signs and has particular reference to a mechanism for controlling the operation of the same, which is in the nature of an improvement over my co-pending application Serial No. 562,009.

In my prior application, the contacts for controlling the illumination of the lamps for forming the letters and words were actuated by an endless perforated tape which required an undue amount of space for housing the tape where the sign consisted of any great number of words. The present invention contemplates a perforated tape for this purpose which is simultaneously wound upon and unwound from a pair of reels together with means for automatically reversing the direction of movement of the tape after the same has been completely unwound from one of the reels and wound upon the other.

One of the outstanding objects of the present invention resides in the provision of a moving electric sign controlling mechanism which includes as a part thereof a perforated strip of insulating material which passes between a fixed contact and a plurality of movable contacts for energizing selectively certain groups of a bank of lamps for the formation of letters and words to simulate the movement of the same throughout a given space.

More specifically the invention seeks as an object to provide a thoroughly automatic mechanism for handling the tape and controlling the supply of current to the device and with which mechanism various tapes are readily associated in order to change the nature of the sign.

As a still further object the invention comprehends in a moving electric sign a controlling mechanism therefor which is extremely simple in its construction, inexpensive to manufacture and which is thoroughly reliable and highly eflicient in its purpose.

With the above recited and other objects in View, the invention resides in the novel construction set forth in the following specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims and illustra ed in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that the right is reserved to embodiments other than those actually illustrated herein to the full extent indicated by the general meantional view therethrough, taken ing of the terms in which the claims are expressed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the controlling mechanism of an electric sign of the character set forth.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary transverse secapproximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end View with parts broken away and shown in section to disclose the underlying structure.

Fig. 4. is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken approximately on the line 1- 1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the controlling switch and circuits.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, 10 designates a suitable base upon which a framework is mounted consisting of upright end standards 11 having a shelf 12 carried by the upper ends thereof. A housing consisting of a lower section 13, an intermediate section 14 and an upper sectio1i15 is mounted on the shelf 12, the said sections being hingedly connected as at 16 for relative swinging movement with respect to each other and provided with suitable means 17 for locking the same in closed condition. The lower section 13 consists of two spaced longitudinal side strips of,in-

sulating material joined by a horizontally disposed longitudinal metallic plate 18, the upper face of which is spaced below the upper edges of the side rails to define in the upper face of the lower section 13 a longitudinally extending groove 19. 'The intermediate section 1 1 is formed with a plurality of vertical openings 20 having restricted lower ends 21 and enlarged upper ends 22. p A spherical contact 23 is mounted in each opening 20, the diameter of which contacts is less than the diameter of the restricted lower ends 21 whereby to prevent the complete projection of the contact elements 23 from the openings 20 while permitting a sufficient projection from the lower end to engage with the upper surface of the plate 18 when the sections 13 and 14 are in closed condition. The sections 14 and 15 are also of insulating material and the upper section 15 has threadedly engaged therein on the under side screws 24 corresponding in number and arrangement to the openings 20 with the heads 25 of said screws received in the enlarged upper ends 22 of the openings 20 when the sections 14 and 15 are in relatively closed position. A coiled expansion spring 26 is mounted within each opening and its end convolutions respectively engage the screw heads and the spherical contacts for the purpose of normally projecting the contacts 23 from the lower end of the openings 20 and into contact with the metallic plate 18. From each screw shank 24 which constitutes a binding post the terminal of a conduit wire 27 extends, the opposite terminal of said wires 27 being connected to a. binding post 28 on an insulated panel 29 from which wires, not shown, lead I to the lamps of a bank of lamps constituting the sign, not shown. It is, of course, understood that the metallic plate constituting a common fixed contact for theamovable spherical contacts 23 is suitably connected with a source of supply with which the lamps are also connected. A perforated tape 30 of insulating material is adapted to be moved through the recess 19 whereby the perforations 31 therein when registering with the openings 20 permit the springs 26 to force the spherical contacts 23 therethrough and into engagement with the metallic plate 18 constituting the common fixed contact member. This allows for the closing of the circuit to the corresponding lamps of the bank for the formation of letters and words which are visualized as the tape moves through the recess 19. The contact elements 23 which are out of registry with the open ings are, of course, insulated by the tape 30 and held out of contact with the plate 18 in order to prevent illumination of the remaining lamps of the bank. The mechanism for handling the tape consists of a pair of reels 34 and 35, the former being mounted on a transverse shaft 36 journaled in the uprights 11 at one end of the frame and the other on a transverse shaft 37 mounted on the uprights 11 at the opposite end of the frame. The reel 35 is loosely mounted on the hollow shaft 38 which is mounted for turning movement on the supporting shaft 37 and said shaft adjacent the reel 35 is provided with a. right hand thread 39 with which the complementary internally threaded hub 40 of asheave or pulley 41 engages upon rotation of said sheave in a clockwise direction. The outer end of the hollow shaft 38 has loosely mounted thereon a second sheave or pulley 42. The sheave or pulley 41 and the reel 35 are provided with interengageable clutch elements 43 and 44 projecting from their confronting faces which are engaged when the pulley or sheave 41 is rotated in a clockwise direction to screw its hub 40 on the threaded inner end 39 of the hollow shaft the screwing motion effecting an axial movement of the pulley or sheave 41 toward the reel 35. The confronting faces of the sheaves 41 and 42 are provided with interengageable clutch elements 45 and 46 which project therefrom and engage upon a counterclockwise rotation of the pulley 'or sheave41 which causes an unscrewing of the hub 40 on the threaded portion 39 of the hollow shaft to effect outward axial movement of the pulley or sheave 41 toward the pulley or sheave 42. The sheave or pulley 41 is connected to a drive pulley 47 by a belt 48 and the pulley 47 is in turn actuated by a worm gear and pinion 49 and 50 from a reversible motor 51 which is designed to rotate the pulley 47 and sheave 41 in opposite directions through the medium of a pole changing switch 52 suitably mounted on the frame at a convenient point. The sheave 42 is connected by a belt 53 to a sheave 54 secured to the drum 34. The tape 30 is secured to and initially wound on the drum 34, its outer end being trained over the guide roller 55 and supported by one end of the frame, thence through the recess 19 over the metallic plate 18, over a second guide roller 56 at the opposite end of the frame with its end secured to the reel 35. \Vhen the motor is started and the pole changing switch engaged in a position to cause the sheave 41 to rotate in a clockwise direction, the interengageable clutch elements 43 and 44 will cause the tape 30 to wind on the reel 35 at the same time imwinding its opposite end from the reel 34. This effects the movement of the tape through the recess 19 for actuating the movable contact elements 23, thus operating the sign.

The controlling mechanism for reversing the motor automatically after a predetermined amount of the tape has been wound onto the reel 35 and unwound from the reel 34 consists of a lever 57 which is fi'llcruined as at 58 on the frame and is provided at one end with a weighted bearing roller 59 which rests upon the tape wound on the reel 35. The opposite free end 60 of the lever 57 is connected to the switch arm (51 of the pole changing switch 52 by a connecting rod 62 which is pivotally' attached as at 63 to the free end 60 of the lever and is attached at its opposite end to the switch arm 61 by a-coil spring 64. The conventional form of pole changing switch is employed which consists of contacts 65 and 66 which cooperate with one blade 67 of the knife switchand contacts 68 and 69 which coact with another blade 70 of the knife switch. The contacts 65 and 69 are connected by the circuit wires 71 illustrated in Fig. 5 to the negative pole 72 of the motor 51, While the contacts 66 and 68 are connected by the circuit wires 73 to the positive pole 74 of the motor. In addition to' the blades 67 and 70, the switch 52 is provided with a blade 7 5 which cooperates With contacts 76 and 77. Each of the blades 67, 70 and 75 is connected by a I branch wire 78 with the poles of the battery or other source of supply 79. The motor 51 has a shunt field 51' which is connected across the battery 79 as shown. The lamps 80 indicated in Fig. 5, in the diagrammatic View, are connected by a circuit wire 81 with one of the poles of the battery or source of supply 79 and are further connected by the conduit wires 27 with the contact elements 23 controlled by the movable tape 30. The

common fixed contact plate 18 is connected connected by circuit wires 83 to the contact 77. The blades 75, 67 and 70 are simultaneously moved with the switch arm 61. l/Vhen a predetermined amount of tape is wound upon the reel 35 the lever 57 will be swung on its fulcrum by the lifting of the end provided with the weighted roller; this will effect a downward movement of the end 60 and a corresponding downward movement 01": the connecting rod 62 whereby a pull will be exerted on the spring 64, which, under a predetermined tension, will move the switch arm 61 downwardly to throw the blades 67, 70 and 75 thereof out of contact with their respective contacts 65, 68 and 76 and at the same time engaging them with the lower contacts 66, 69 and 77. This will change the direction of flow of current through the armature of the motor and re- ,verse the direction of rotation of the same.

" When the direction of rotation of the motor terclockwise direction.

is changed the direction of rotation of the drive pulley 47 is changed and correspondingly the sheave 41 will be driven in a coun- This will cause a retrograde rotation of the hub 40 or unthreading of the same on the threaded portion 39 of the hollow shaft 38, resulting in an outward axial movement of the sheave 41 to disengage the clutch elements 43 and 44 and subsequently engage the clutch elements 45 and 46 whereby the sheave 42 is driven in an anti-clockwise direction and the pulley 54 and real 34 in the proper directionto wind the tape back upon the reel 34 and unwind the same on the reel 35. During the retrograde movement of the tape 30 and rewinding of the same on the'reel 34, the permanent sign will be lighted. When a sutficient amount of the tape has been un- -wound from the reel 35 and onto the reel 34, the reduction in the diameter of the amount of the tape windings on the reel 35 will cause the weighted roller 59 on the end of the lever 57 to lift the opposite end 60 until the spring 64 is placed under a suflicient tension to release the switch army 61" from the contact 66 and snap the same into the contact 65, thereby again reversing the motor and direction of rotation of the drive pulley 47 and sheave 41. The sheave 41 now rotating in a clockwise direction will be axially moved inward on the hollow shaft 38, disengaging the clutch elements 45 and 46 and re-engaging the clutch elements 43 and 44. The rewinding of the tape on the reel 35 will then be effected. Preferably the switch 52 will operate when the tape is being unwound from the reel 35 and wound to the reel 34, to cut off the source of supply to the contacts 23 whereby the sign will not be illuminated when the tape is moving backward. For this reason it will be noted that the ratio between the pulley or sheave 42 and the pulley 54 is such that the rewinding onto the reel 34 is accomplished with greater speed than the winding onto the reel 35 from the reel 34. It is also possible, through the medium of the tape, to operate a border for the sign of lamps from the same tape to cause the same to flash for attracting attention.

From the foregoing it will thus be seen that an extremely simple yet thoroughly automatic moving sign controlling and actuating means has been devised which readily permits of the changing of the nature of the sign by interchanging tapes thereon. It will be further noted that all of the parts are readily accessible for the'purpose of making repairs or renewing the parts thereof which have become worn.

I claim:

1. In combination, a reel, driving means for said reel, a second reel, a tape having its ends connected to said reels, means for reversing the driving means for the first named reel, and means whereby upon reversal of said driving means the same will be automatically disconnected from the first reel and connected for driving the second reel in an opposite direction.

2. In combination, a reel, driving means for said reel, a second reel, a tape having its ends connected to said reels, means for reversing the driving means for the first named reel, and means whereby the second reel will be rotated at a relatively greater speed than the first named reel.

3. In combination, a reel, an electric mo- -tor for driving said reel, and normally contation of said motor the same will be automatically disconnected from the first reel and connected to the second reel for rotating the same in a direction opposite of that imparted to the first reel and means controlled by the thickness of tape upon the first reel for reversing said motor.

5. In combination, a reel, an electric motor for driving said reel, a second reel aligned with the first reel, a tape with its ends attached to said reels, a switch in the supply leads of said motor adapted to be operated for reversing the rotation of the motor, means whereby with reversal of the motor the same will be disconnected from the first reel and connected for driving the second reel in an opposite direction, and means controlled by the thickness of tape wound upon the first reel for operating the switch to reverse said motor.

6. In combination, a reel, an electric motor for driving said reel, a second reel aligned with the first reel, a tape with its ends attached to said reels, a switch in the supply leads of said motor adapted to be operated for reversing the rotation of the motor, means whereby the reversal of the motor the same will be disconnected from the first reel and connected for driving the second reel in an opposite direction, and a combined link and lever means, controlled by the thickness of tape upon the first named reel, for operating said switch'to reverse said motor.

7. In combination, a: reel, an electric motor for driving said reel, and normally connected thereto, a second reel, a tape having its ends connected to said reels, a reversing switch for said motor, and means whereby an auxiliary lighting circuit will be established when the switch is in either of its operative positions.

FEDERICO ZORRILLA BARRUNDIA. 

